Loki Laufeyson – Coffee Date
Loki Laufeyson – Coffee Date
After depositing Thor on his bed, snoring and fully clothed, I retreated to my room. The taste of coffee still present in my mouth, I reached for the water on my bedside and downed it. Coffee was not something I wanted to drink again.
I moved to the bed and took a seat, letting out a deep sigh. I had been going to make myself tea after convincing Thor to consume something beyond alcohol, but I couldn’t refute Amelie’s kind offer of coffee. It had occurred to me that it had been years since someone had offered me anything without expecting something in return. She'd asked with genuine interest about what I would like, and my chest tightened at the idea of being acknowledged for the first time in a long while.
I pressed my lips, the familiar feeling of discomfort growing in my stomach that I got whenever I thought about anything to do with emotions. It had been disconcerting to try to unpack this feeling, made worse still by the notion that I was doing so with mortals.
I lay back against my pillows and picked up the book I'd found in the wardrobe earlier, its spine creaking as I opened it. The pages looked well-worn, their edges yellowed from time. I frowned, soon I'd need to find some better reading material. Before I could get settled into the story, a soft knock on the door interrupted me. I glanced at it, there was no chance that Thor was awake yet and Tony Stark had not been seen since the early hours of the morning. I walked to the door and opened it cautiously. Amelie smiled broadly as my eyes flicked to hers. She was still in the loungewear she’d worn that morning, her hair wrestled into a messy bun at her neck. I smiled as I leaned one arm above me on the doorframe. It was only now that I noticed our height difference. My gaze traveled down her petite frame, her head came to just below my shoulders, as she looked up at me.
“Ms Amelie, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
It briefly crossed my mind that I'd probably already spent more time with Amelie than any other mortal before; not counting the ones I'd killed or fought with of course.
She grinned before holding up what looked like a shiny debit card. “Thought I’d treat you to a tea, to make up for the coffee.” She waved the card and I saw iridescent writing reflect in the light - Starbucks.
My eyes shifted from the card to Amelie, not knowing what I should say. Anxiety started to creep in as I deliberated. It had occurred to me before arriving here that the Midgardians had only agreed to let me stay in order to enact some sort of revenge for my past transgressions. Normally, this would have been laughable, but in my weakened state, and having promised Thor that I would behave, my cockiness had given way to doubt.
But Amelie's warm, amiable grin kept me steady; she seemed to have no malicious intentions. This woman had no idea of my history and how undeserved the opportunity Mr. Stark and my brother had gifted me was. I caught my train of thought, chiding myself for admitting I was accepting anything from anyone. I returned her smile with one of my own. “I thought Americans did not make good tea.”
She pursed her lips as she thought. “True, but I don’t think my uncle would appreciate me flying a God to another country for a tea-date.”
I cocked my head. “Very well, I accept your offer. When do we leave?”
Giggling, she rolled her eyes as she stepped back into the hallway slightly. “You make it sound like a business transaction. I just need to put on clothes that are acceptable in public. Meet me in the lobby in 15 minutes?”
I switched out my shirt for a plain dark jumper and made my way to the lobby. Amelie wasn't there when I arrived and I couldn’t help but wonder if this had been an elaborate plan just to get me away from the tower. I stood near a large potted plant, trying not to fidget as I waited. I felt decidedly un-god-like, huffing out slightly in irritation.
Just as I was starting to get really anxious, Amelie materialised near the elevators, her eyes scanning for me through the small crowd. I sighed as I felt the unwitting wave of relief wash over me. She waved as she approached and I quickly nodded back, making sure my hands stayed clasped behind me. I watched as each staff member reacted warmly towards her. They beamed when she passed them, expressing their joy with genuine enthusiasm. “Ready?” She asked me brightly.
I gestured to the doors and she walked ahead, waving at a few more people as we left.
I expected the walk to be awkward, but Amelie kept up a steady stream of pleasant conversation - nothing too heavy, for which I was grateful. We soon rounded a corner and I saw a small shop on the end of a block with ‘Starbucks’ in large letters above the door. I’d heard many people talking about this place, and it certainly seemed very popular now. A long queue snaked out of the door and on for several paces. Amelie turned her head to me slightly as she continued walking. “Not this one. I know they’re all pretty much the same but I have a particular favourite in Central Park. It should be a bit quieter there.”
“Lead the way.” I glanced at the queue as we passed, relieved not to be joining it.
We continued on for a few more blocks, passing seemingly dozens of other Starbucks locations. Eventually we came to the biggest expanse of green in New York and Amelie led straight through to a smaller shop tucked away in a quiet corner of the park.
I opened the door and gestured for Amelie to go first, following her in. Amelie may have been a mortal, but I had been raised as a prince of Asgard, and I would act as such.
The space was bright and airy, and seemingly bigger inside than out. “Any particular favourites?”
I glanced to the large board behind the counter, listing a ridiculous number of drinks that I’d never heard of. “Surprise me. I like strong herbal teas, I shall trust your judgment.”
She grinned. “You grab us a table, I’ll come back with the drinks.”
I looked around at the choice of seating areas, selecting a low coffee table with two armchairs by the back window. I briefly pondered which chair Amelie would prefer before deciding she’d probably like the seat facing the window, to take advantage of the views of the park. Decision made, I settled down and tried to avoid eye contact with anyone. So far, no one had recognised me and I wanted to keep it that way.
A few moments passed before Amelie appeared, carrying a tray with two cups and what looked like pastries. Standing up, I took the tray from her and carried it to the table. She sat down, pulling her jacket off and hanging it on the back of her chair. “Thanks.”
“Not at all. Thank you for inviting me.” I looked at the two steaming cups in front of me, trying to guess what was inside. One smelt decidedly coffee-like, so I slid it gently towards Amelie, being careful not to spill any. She smiled and took it in both hands, breathing the smell in deeply before nodding to the other drink.
“I chose peppermint tea for you. It’s my friend Lauren’s favourite.”
I took the cup and held it to my nose. It smelt fresh and sharp, reminding me of our own mint tea blends in Asgard. Taking a sip, I felt a familiar soothing sensation as the warmth of the tea spread through my chest.
“Have I redeemed myself?” Amelie raised her eyebrows expectantly, a small smile playing on her lips.
“You had nothing to redeem yourself for. I was very grateful for the coffee.” I took another sip as she put her cup down.
“You don’t have to be so polite, I would’ve made you a tea instead. Personally I think coffee is much better.” As if to demonstrate, she picked up her cup again and took a big gulp.
I smiled. “I will concede that overall I prefer tea, but do not take that as a critique of your drink making skills.”
Amelie grinned. Placing her coffee cup down again, she leant forward, cheeks flushed from our walk in the brisk air. “I wanted to be a good housemate but I feel like I just made you drink it. Promise you’ll tell me if you don’t like something in future, otherwise I’ll never know if you mean it when you say you do!” She gestured with her hands as she spoke, punctuating her words. Amelie was smiling, but she seemed like she really wanted me to promise.
I felt one side of my mouth pull up in a lopsided smile, despite myself. “Okay, okay. I promise.”
Amelie beamed at me before leaning forward, her hands resting in her lap. “Pinky promise?”
I paused, unsure how to respond. “… I beg your pardon?”